1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to emergency shelters and specifically to emergency shelters provided to relieve suffering as a result of large scale disasters where many people are displaced from their homes. More specifically, the present invention discloses construction of short term sleeping quarters using pre-formed plastic panels enabling displaced persons to survive more safely and comfortably than they would if they were using more conventional facilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, relief agencies and governments turn to tent erection as the primary solution to short term housing even though the limitations and shortcomings of tents and tent-like shelters are well known. Tents of the kind provided to refugees offer little protection from temperature extremes in cold or very hot climates. The internal support structure of a tent can be difficult for ordinary, unskilled persons to assemble properly without training. Tents usually have dirt floors which can be wet and unsanitary and a haven for vermin, insects and even unwanted reptiles. Tents can also be expensive to manufacture depending upon the fabric used and the complexity of the mechanical structure needed to keep them up. Therefore many shelters and alternative dwelling units have been invented or proposed but have not been successfully commercialized. Cost is a major consideration and there is reluctance on the part of decision makers to depart from tents as a well known palliative. Some examples of more recent prior art follows beginning with the earliest chronologically.
A first example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,467, issued to Golden, which describes a system for constructing buildings using plastic panels to make emergency structures of unusual shape—rhombic triacontahedral buildings—featuring special hollow edge connectors. The hollow connectors have extruded profiles which fit along the edge of each panel connecting one to another. The instant invention uses a different means of fastening panels altogether as each panel is joined directly to an adjacent panel to form a simple rectangular structure.
A second example, more akin in appearance to the instant invention, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,410 to Watson, for a “System for Construction of Emergency Housing”. Watson's rectangular construction is made of metal and uses a number of different pre-formed metal channels and common fastening components. Watson envisions an emergency shelter which can be converted into a permanent habitation. Except for initial appearance, the Watson structure is quite different in scope and manufacture from that offered here as an inventive solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,436 issued to Sadler discloses a portable utility structure which, in its preferred form, comprises two specially fabricated boards. One board can be folded down along hinged axes to form the top and sides of the shed and the second board can be folded up forming front and back panels. Interlocking tabs connect the top board structure to the bottom part. This appears analogous to various constructions of cardboard boxes and differs markedly from the instant invention which uses primarily plastic panels and entirely different connecting devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,904 awarded to Pascoe describes a prefabricated modular building formed from plastic interlocking panels. The panels are configured to form a cone-like structure which helps it resist extreme climatic wind forces and other harsh environmental hazards. It is a much more costly and sturdy structure than the current invention as it is intended to last much longer as a habitation, and even, as inventor Pascoe suggests, function as a hazardous waste storage facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,000 to Larsen discloses a system which uses plastic panels to partition the interior of standard intermodal freight containers. These containers are commonly used throughout the world and could be converted to emergency housing relatively quickly using pre-fabricated panels and cam-based connectors. While such an idea may have merit for longer term use as habitations for displaced people, they would be impractical to use in many disaster situations as the cost, availability and difficulties associated with converting great numbers of units and then transporting such large structures to remote areas poses huge logistical problems. The present invention addresses the more immediate need for fast and inexpensively manufactured habitations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,639 issued to Wood discloses a polygonal structure put together with panels hinged to one another. Pulling on ropes or tensioning lines from opposite sides allows the structure to change from a group of stacked panels into a three dimensional polygonal structure. The present invention is delivered as a group of stacked panels, however, the method of assembly and the design of the shelter are, as will be shown herein, plainly a departure from the Wood disclosure.
Helin, WIPO Patent Application WO/2000/066846, discloses a house for temporary erection comprised of a plurality of plastic panel elements that are arranged in three layers. This design emphasizes the greater volume of inside space created by having an additional layer of ceiling panels. Of necessity, more panel elements are required in Helin's survival house than the simpler design employed in the present invention.
Linares, in U.S. Patent Application 2007/0074462 A1, discloses a modularizable and assembleable housing structure that emphasizes the use of powder impression molded construction. While some embodiments appear similar to the instant invention, the structure of Linares is different in manufacture, more costly and complicated and is intended to serve as permanent as opposed to temporary housing.
Similarly, Day, in U.S. Patent Application 2008/0263968, shows a structure built from a “kit” containing all the requisite components including toilet facilities, air conditioning and apparatus suitable for a housing unit in a society with a developed infrastructure. The instant invention, however, is only intended for temporary use in places where there is little or no functioning water or electricity infrastructure.
Finally, Esposito, in two U.S. Pat. Applications 2009/0223143 and 2009/0223144, discloses new variations on the use of intermodal containers for housing. These containers are designed for long term habitation unlike the present invention which is intended only for temporary use, at most, perhaps, a six month duration.
While there have been many prior attempts to address the need for better emergency shelters, the present invention removes the principal impediments to adoption of a newer design, namely, by providing a design that has lower manufacturing costs, lower costs of transportation and extreme ease of assembly. It is exceedingly important that emergency shelters be easy to assemble on site wherever they may be needed by people who may be under a great deal of stress. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an emergency shelter which is lightweight, easily transported using conventional means, and can be erected quickly and easily without tools. Another object of this invention is to provide an emergency shelter which is more durable, safe and comfortable than conventional tents which are usually supplied as a first response to calls for emergency shelters.
A further object of this invention is to provide an emergency shelter capable of shielding displaced persons from the debilitating effects of exposure to the natural elements and can serve as a temporary replacement dwelling for two persons though capable of being extended modularly into a larger habitat.
A further object of the invention is to provide a shelter which is constructed primarily of plastic panels, securely packaged and capable of being air-dropped by parachute to remote locations. Still another object of this invention, in an advanced embodiment, is to provide a fully operable emergency shelter equipped with uni-directional heating apparatus (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,084) located within the floor panel and solar generating power means normally supplied and located in the roof.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an emergency shelter composed of easily recyclable materials.